Thursday, April 9, 2015

LIFE'S HURDLES....

Wow! I happened to look at my blog a couple of days ago and I realized that it had been two months since I had last blogged. The only explanation I can give? Life and the hurdles it places in our path. In February, here in the southern part of North Carolina, there were several days that we had ice and it never fails; inclement weather always throws our life out of sync. At least for me it does. When its icy and rainy weather I'm more apt to go straight home from work than to go to the gym were I love to workout and work on my manuscripts.

Once the ice past, then we had several weeks of rain. We got so much rain my husband and I joked that we needed a boat to get in and out from our home. Unfortunately, all the rain we got drowned out a section of my dad's field and killed the wheat that was planted. For those that know a little about farming, you know what we will be doing this spring and summer....Yep digging out our ditches.

During this time I also found a critique partner after a very long search...Yeah! What I thought was a finished manuscript wasn't. She read my first three chapters, gave me her input, opinion and suggestions in a very understanding approach. After a phone conservation that lasted three hours I was left again with apprehension of 'which way do I go George?' (Does anyone remember that old cartoon where the hound-dog is searching for the fox?) That's how I felt, I knew it was there (the way I wanted my story to start/go/end) but how did I get to it? So one night on my way home I passed my old elementary school and on the sigh was the one word that not only set me in the right direction but also confirmed that I wasn't crazy for spending my time which were beginning to feel fruitless on a manuscript. The word was Forgiveness. I realized then that not only do we need to ask God for forgiveness but we need to also forgive ourselves.

Working, taking care of a family and trying our best to make a go at our love of writing; something, somewhere is going to fall short. It's the simple things in life that we need to cherish more. These last pics are of my oldest son that were taken by my youngest son. Just a causal sunny day in the yard playing with our new puppies. I don't know who had more fun, me watching the puppies play, my oldest son letting the puppies romp all around him or my youngest who was laughing at taking the pics. Whenever I look at these pics I can't help but smile.....I hope you do as well.....